Property Watch: Spawning creek, sporty amenities make West Van home a standout

This home in West Vancouver has space for exercise as well as a viewing area where residents can watch salmon spawn. Photo by 360hometours.ca

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Shakespeare’s Macbeth was a dark tragedy, but there’s nothing dark (or tragic) about this six-bedroom, eight- bathroom home on West Vancouver’s Macbeth Crescent. Quite the opposite, in fact.

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With 20-foot ceilings in the great room and a wall of windows to match, plus numerous windows strategically placed throughout, there are plenty of entry points to let the sun shine in all day long. But it doesn’t lack for privacy: this home, designed by Marque Thompson with interior design by Raveninside, provides the best of both worlds, says listing agent Peter Joudaki of Progressive Vancouver Team/Angell Hasman & Associates Realty Ltd.

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At the front entranceway, down a few steps, sits a fully covered lounger area. Photo by 360hometours.ca

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“You can’t see anybody from inside but you don’t lack sun. Usually that’s the trade-off: You get a private lot but it’s dark, or you get a bright lot but you see the roofs of other houses outside your window, or you have to close your blinds at certain times of the day. (Here you get) super sunny, super private.”

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And that makes a difference when you’re spending time on the half acre of lawn and terraced garden enjoying the pool (with automatic cover), hot tub, fire pit, or on the covered lanai with its outdoor chef’s kitchen.

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Another unusual standout? The backyard creek with spawning salmon. “You can actually see the salmon that spawn throughout the year, so (the owner) set up seating and a fire pit along the creek to watch them,” says Joudaki. “Most creeks run a little stronger and quicker, but this one, Wagg Creek, is very calm and relaxing. It never really rages.”

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What’s inside

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The sun shines through the full-length windows found throughout the home. Photo by 360hometours.ca

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The kitchen is furnished by Italian manufacturer Scavolini and features Gaggenau stove and steam oven, Sub-Zero fridge, wine fridge and freezer, and a high-end Caliber nine-burner range. Photo by 360hometours.ca

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If you suspected an athlete was the vision behind a home that was designed and built to include a regulation 20-foot high ceilinged sports court for squash and basketball, a double-height gym, a Pilates studio with its own entrance, a sauna and steam room, you would be right.

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The current owner, says Joudaki, is a former professional athlete who played “a very high level soccer when he was younger, and still plays Division 1.”

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His wife is a Pilates instructor and their two kids play a variety of sports. “They built this house specifically for their family, designing everything around their active lifestyle.”

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A part of that active lifestyle includes entertaining, and the mostly covered and heated outdoor decks and patios, pool, fire pit and kitchen are perfect for parties, rain or shine. “They even put in a connection for an outdoor projector system because they thought it would be cool for their kids to have their friends over to watch movies outdoors,” says Joudaki.

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At the front entranceway, down a few steps to a huge glass pivot door, sits a fully covered lounge area. “They designed it like that because they know that in Vancouver we get five to six months, potentially, of rain,” says Joudaki. “And when they’re hosting, they don’t want their guests waiting outside in the rain for their car or taxi to arrive.”

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Once through that huge pivot door, a beautiful, hand-blown Bocci chandelier hangs from the 20-foot ceilings of the great room.